For just $30 extra, New York state residents can opt for a new Enhanced Driver's License (EDL), complete with RFID chip. But why would you want to shill out that extra coin on top of the $50 you already have to pay for a normal license? The selling point is that the radio frequency identification chip in the EDL allows a humble state ID to act as a passport of sorts. It can be scanned by authorities to identify US citizens entering the state from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean...though we're not sure exactly how you're supposed to get into those countries in the first place without an actual passport. What about privacy and security concerns? Oh, don't worry; the government has measures in place. Officials say that no personal information will be stored on or transmitted by the chip — only an identification number. But the Ron Paul supportersconspiracy theorists will no doubt see this as another step closer to a totalitarian government. We're no fans of an impending nanny-state either, but what do you think? Do RFID IDs have a legitimate use or will they simply lead to an Orwellian future? [cnet via fashionfunky]